if measure m passes richmond is the first to impose the penny per ounce tax on business that is sell soft drinks and big money is coming in from outside the bay area. mark tonight with the expensive local battle. >>reporter: studies have shown that drinking sugar sweeten drink is linked to the rising previous lens of obesity in children. so retired cardiologist jeff convinced majority of the fellow council members in richmond to put a measure on the november ballot that would tax soda and other sugar drinks using the money to make children healthy. >> for the 3 million we take in we can put in new soccer fiel fields. softball fields. we can teach our kids third graders how to swim and put nutrition teachers in the elementary school. >>reporter: he's convinced the tax will encourage parents to buy 100 percent just and other non-sugar drinks in place of soda. >> it really is parallel to big tobacco and to what we did with cigarettes. >>reporter: soft drink company and national theater chain have contributed more than two million dollars out spending supporters of the measure nearly 36